Two Years
by purrpickle
Summary: Sailor Moon/Utena MOVIE. After fleeing Ohtori Academy with Saionji, Wakaba, and Miki, Juri finds herself alone in Juuban, Tokyo, working at a local arcade. Curious of this striking woman, Usagi draws her in to her group. Contains shoujo ai, probable U/J.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon nor Shoujo Kakumei Utena nor the characters within.

Warning: This fic will eventually contain shoujo ai, Haruka and Michiru not withstanding, of course. :) C'mon, it's a fusion of Sailor Moon and Utena, and Juri's a main character. Of course there's shoujo ai! And I started this fic back in 2003, so writing style may change throughout, though I've tried to keep it constant. Enjoy!

Usagi peered over the edge of her table towards the counter. She was also currently hiding under the table she was peering over; only her eyes, the top of her head, her fingers where she gripped the edge and her two _odangos_ showed over the top.

When Minako approached, sliding into the booth, leaning down to look at her friend, Usagi grabbed her hair, tugging her under with her. Minako yelped, holding a hand to her head. "Usagi-_chan_," she started, "WHAT are you doing!?"

Making a loud quieting sound, Usagi issued the other blonde closer, hissing, "Look over there! Who do you think she is?"

"Motoki's illegitimate daughter?" Minako joked, losing her smile when Usagi glared at her.

"Of course not! She's too old. But who is she? She must be new." Looking over to her friend, Usagi's eyes began to shine, and Minako, catching her mood, answered.

"Let's find out!" they both cried at the same time, surging up. They fell back down when their heads hit the underside of the table, forgetting it was there. Both of them rubbing their heads in unison, they jumped up again, hiding behind a fake green plant that offered them cover yet let them still see the counter.

The person at the counter, the object of their inspection, innocently wiped the top, totally oblivious to their gazes. She appeared to be the same age as the two blondes, maybe older, and the only reason that she had caught Usagi's eye in the first place was because Motoki usually hired people that he knew well. Usagi thought that she knew everyone that he knew well, but she had never seen the girl before.

"Maybe she's an alien that's brainwashed Motoki into letting her stay, ready to pray on our nubile, young flesh when she drugs us with our drinks…" Minako began.

Usagi sweatdropped. "Minako!" she whispered angrily, "Just because you like to read American novels DOESN'T mean that you have to turn everything into a trashy lesbian suspense."

Minako frowned at her, "But it could be true! Aliens always look like humans before they invade! Haven't you noticed anything when Airu and An came? And Jedite? Fish-Eye -"

Usagi cut her off, "Eep! She's looking! Duck!"

And they did, hiding behind the foliage as the girl looked up smiling, greeting a customer that approached her. Hurrying to get the man the Coke that he asked for, she accepted the payment, and, once the man was gone, began once again to wipe the table down.

"Jeez, does she do that all day?" a new voice asked from behind the girls, startling them. Usagi's hair jumped up from her head and sweatdrops erupted all over her face. Minako gasped, keeling over from the shock, her eyes two little circles and her mouth open. "Don't do that!" they both yelled, and then ducked again when the new girl looked up at the sound.

Makoto looked on, an amused smile on her face. Rei stood next to her with an exasperated expression, her arms crossed, one hand holding her sinuses as if they ached. Ami smiled sheepishly, her arms in front of her, holding a book between her and her body. She stood slightly behind Makoto, so used to Usagi and Minako's weird ideas of mysteries that she didn't even ask any more.

Makoto, the one who had spoken, slid into the seat that Minako had vacated a couple of minutes ago, Ami rushing to join her. "Don't look now," she said, "but the girl's heading this way. I suggest that you get yourselves over here so you don't look like fools."

"Like they haven't already," Rei snorted. Usagi glared at her, sticking out her tongue, but Rei just lifted her nose, pretending not to have noticed.

Shamefaced, the two blondes slowly took their seats, their shoulders slumped. And just in time, too, when the girl they had been shamelessly spying on walked up smiling brightly. Both Usagi and Minako giggled nervously when they saw just how right the tall brunette had been.

The woman reminded Usagi personally, of a little bit like Haruka. She had that aura around her, the kind of 'I'm older than you and I'm standoffish' look. And she was tall, too. Taller than Usagi had first expected. She also looked a little stern, but once you got closer, she appeared to be warmer than expected. Long orange curls framed her face, the rest of her long orange hair drawn up in a low ponytail that still seemed to end a long way down her back, and piercing green eyes lit up her face. She smiled at the group.

"So, what'll it be?"

Her voice was deep, too, a nice deepness that affected Usagi just as much as Haruka's had when she had first heard it. Looking out of the corner of her eye, she could see that it was affecting Minako as well, and there, completely on the spot, decided that with Minako or not, she was ready to start her snooping!

Makoto looked around the group, her gaze finally settling onto the two blondes who stared with shining eyes at the waitress, probably thinking that they weren't obvious in their inspection. Smiling and exchanging glances with Rei who rolled her eyes, she looked at the nametag that the girl wore.

"Well, Juri-_san_," she began, watching as Usagi and Minako both eagerly ingested the information, "We'd like the usual."

Juri raised an eyebrow, smiling with a bit of mirth. "And I suppose that Motoki would know what you were talking about?"

Rei nodded, sweeping black bangs away, "And don't forget to add more onion rings for Usagi-_chan_ – she'd go hungry without them." She waited.

Usagi whipped her head to the side to glare at her friend, "I would NOT go hungry without them, Rei-_baka_! It's you who likes the onion rings! Don't try to blame them on someone else." Turning away from her, she humphed. Cracking open an eye to smile sheepishly at the waitress, she blushed when she saw the humorous gaze Juri shot her.

"Well," the tall girl began, "I'll be sure to tell Motoki that BOTH of you need more onion rings." Sliding her pencil behind her right ear, she walked off, looking over her shoulder to say, "And I'll be sure to memorize what your usual is as I imagine you come here a lot to warrant an 'usual'."

"I do NOT need onion rings!" Usagi called after her, rising out of her seat to call over the restaurant. Pouting, she slid back down, glaring at her dark-haired friend. "Great. You made her think I was a glutton."

"Oh, and like you're not?" Rei shot back. "Besides, what's the point? Why are you so concerned with her?"

"Because she's new! And maybe she needs a friend!"

"Usagi-_chan_ does have a point, although her reasoning is slightly flawed," Ami spoke up. Shutting the book that she had been reading, she reached up to remove her reading glasses, continuing when everyone looked at her. Everyone, that is, except Minako, who stared at the place where the woman had left to talk to Motoki, breathing, "_Kakoii_…"

"Just because Juri-_san's_ new here, at the restaurant, does not mean that she's new to the area."

"Well, why haven't I seen her around then?" Usagi asked petulantly, crossing her arms. The blonde was feeling a little bit miffed as her comeback to Rei was slowly but surely unraveling.

Rei rolled her eyes, cutting off the blue-haired girl's reply. "You can't expect to know EVERYONE in Tokyo, let alone the _Juuban_ district, Usagi-_chan_," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Before an even huger fight could strike up, Makoto raised her hands, waving them up and down in a calming motion. Smiling soothingly, she said, "No fighting, alright? Can't we just eat in peace without you two squabbling?"

"Stay out of it, Mako-_chan_!" both Usagi and Rei yelled, getting ready for an all-out down-right tongue war.

Instead, platters of food were laid down in front of the girls before things could really get dirty (as if Rei and Usagi's fights really got dirty. They were now more for fun and appearance's sake). Pulling away from where they had been glaring at each other over the table, Makoto and Ami sweatdropping at each other, Minako still staring off into the corner, Usagi looked up to see Juri smiling at them all.

Her smile was a little detached. But when she saw Usagi looking, she smiled a real one, seemingly coming back from where she had been thinking about other things. "There," she said, "That should do it. Yell if you need me."

And this time, when she left, she had both Usagi and Minako staring after her, breathing "_Kakoii_…"

Instantly reminded of food when the delicious smell hit them, they began to eat, Usagi flicking a sprinkle from her dessert ice cream at Rei, who blew some soda back at her. Shrugging at each other, Makoto and Minako joined in, flicking small pieces of lettuce and tomato. Ami hid behind her glasses and book, occasionally venturing out to grab a french fry now and then.

***

"So what do you think of them?" Motoki asked, referring to the group of teenage girls that were flicking food back and forth in equal amounts as they ate, "Hard to imagine that they're in one year below you, in High School, isn't it?"

Juri, leaning against the side of the counter, Motoki venturing out from the kitchen as no one had ordered anything recently, shrugged. Motoki, after a couple of years in college, had decided that his major was actually in the culinary arts and had studied to be a chef. He had come back a half a year ago to manage all of the cooking of his father's arcade, the old chef having just quit over a problem with garlic. Ever since Motoki had come back, however, the business in the restaurant part of the arcade had tripled, and he loved his new job.

"Well, I wouldn't want to be the one who cleaned up after them," Juri deadpanned. Turning around to lean against the counter with her arms, she mused, "Seniors, huh? Must've been good friends for a long time, looking at them."

The sandy-blond haired man nodded. "See that blonde girl there? The one who's mainly fighting with the black-haired girl, sitting next to the other blonde?" he pointed, and Juri nodded. "Well, that's Tsukino Usagi. She's the one who pulled the group together. Uhm… Let's see. I was just starting College. Ah! About five years ago, when Usagi-chan was in 8th grade, she came here everyday to play video games." He smirked. "And lost. She's horrible at video games."

Juri smirked. "But she keeps on playing them, right?" she asked.

Motoki nodded. "Yep. Well, anyway, one by one the other girls started showing up with her. And they've been friends ever since. There're even more girls that join them sometimes, but they're older, around your age, and not around a lot." He shook his head.

"They're an eclectic bunch, I must say. Usagi's a lovable ditz, but she has a good heart and she doesn't trip as often as she once did. She's matured, too." Seeing Juri's look, he smiled, shaking his head. "Nope. Nothing there. She's like a younger sister to me. When she was younger, she DID have a crush on me, but that soon passed. I had a girlfriend anyway, so I wasn't available."

He leaned in close to Juri, lowering his voice, "We're getting married in July, actually."

"Congratulations," Juri murmured politely, the area around her eyes crinkling, "She must be a lucky girl. And you a lucky man."

"Nope. I'm the only lucky one, there." Smiling in recollection, Motoki coughed, turning slightly red. "Now, ah… Where was I?"

"Eclectic bunch…?" Juri urged.

"Ah yes." Motoki cleared his throat, his blue eyes wandering back over to the group. "Usagi DOES try a little bit too hard, but she truly has a pure heart. Just look at her friends. Would you really see them all together, normally?

"The blue-haired one? That's Mizuno Ami. She's the first one that Usagi started hanging out with. She's a true honest to God genius. And I mean that. Her IQ's one of the highest in Tokyo, maybe Japan, but she's decided to stay behind to stay with her friends instead of going off to Germany. Believe me, she's gotten a lot of offers there.

"The one sitting next to her is Kino Makoto. The brunette. She's…ah…" Looking Juri up and down, he mentally decided something in his head, "She's about three inches shorter than you, but the tallest in the group – currently. She used to be an outcast, a so-called 'bully' until Usagi got to know her. She's also an excellent cook and," he leaned in again, something he did often, "I happen to know that she's gotten some offers to work at the highest rated restaurants in town when she's graduated."

Taking a breath, getting some water to sip as he continued, he waited to see if Juri was actually listening. She was.

"The one that Usagi-chan's currently fighting with is the second of the group. Hino Rei. She's a Shinto Priestess at the shrine down the road, and HOW she became Usagi's friend, I don't know. They fight a lot, sure, but that's because of the clashing of their personalities. Rei's a spitfire girl who has to almost run the shrine herself, dedicated to her work, while Usagi's an easygoing, slightly lazy girl. But don't let that fool you. They really are the best of friends – and oh. Customer."

Juri turned around, immediately ready to serve the customer that had walked up to the counter. Greeting the young girl politely, she exchanged the paper money into yen coinage and wished her a nice day before coming back over to the young man.

Motoki almost sighed in relief. He would be able to finish the introductions without getting interrupted, hopefully.

"Anyway, the other blonde is Aino Minako. And she really is the Child of Love. She goes out with a lot of boys, and likes to set all of her other friends up, even though she really doesn't have a steady boyfriend. I only know this because Minako was after me for a while before she saw that I was really dedicated to my girlfriend." He had the decency to blush, clearing his throat before he continued. "Oh, and she's a famous actress, by the way, if you've ever seen the Sailor V movies?"

Juri shook her head, "No. I haven't. I…ah…haven't been here long."

"Ah. I thought that Sailor V was popular everywhere in Japan. Funny." Motoki replied, curious. He thought for a second. "Okay. Maybe not as popular as Sailor Moon now, so maybe you've heard of her?"

Juri shook her head for the second time. "Remember, I was…out of Japan…for a while before I came here," she reminded gently. She crossed her arms as if daring him to ask any more questions, running a hand through some orange bangs.

"Hmm. Yeah. Anyway, so she went to a different school than Usagi, Ami and Makoto, Rei going to a private school, and I really don't know how she started hanging out with them before High School. But now you see is what you get." He paused. "It really makes you believe in lasting friendships, huh?"

Juri's green eyes darkened, and she stood up. "Lasting friendships, yeah. I'm going to take my break now." She untied the apron from around her waist, depositing it onto the counter that she had spent a long time cleaning, tossing over her shoulder, "Refreshments are on the house, I believe?"

Motoki nodded, wondering what he had said to close the girl up, only about three years younger than himself, in the first year of college. He didn't have time to fully think about it though, as Usagi raised up her head, her mouth stained with ketchup, and waved him over.

"Motoki-_kun_!" she yelled, "More ice cream!"

"Coming right up, Usagi-_chan_!" he yelled happily, instantly forgetting his thoughts, "Chocolate, I presume?"

"Of course!" Usagi's voice was apprehensive, as if he had dared to say something idiotic, "It's the only flavor that everyone likes!"

"It's the only flavor that YOU like!" Rei snipped in.

"_REI NO_ _BAKA_!!!"

***

Juri, exiting out of the arcade, paused for a second as she could hear the blonde's voice from all the way on the other side of the building, shaking her head as a smile snaked across her normally sterner features. Motoki did seem to truly care for the bunch, and they all did look fairly normal if not, as he had said, eclectic. Sitting down on the curb in front of the building, she sighed, "Lasting friendship, huh?

"Oh Shiori, what happened to you back there, at Ohtori? When did you get so spiteful, obsessed with power?" she murmured, laying her head onto her arm slung over her knees. Her hand, although it almost physically ached to reach up for the locket that hung around neck, stayed where it was as she remembered everything that had happened to her.

It had been…odd. Slightly exhilarating you could say, Juri mused to herself, softly chuckling at how much she had already changed once she had gotten to the "Outside World". It had been a little strange, getting off at a ramp when the Rose Bride and her prince had continued on. But the Wakaba Mobile had wanted to go that way, and none of them – not Saionji, Miki, or Juri herself – had wanted to stop her. The old Prince didn't seem to be after them anyway.

Speeding down the freeway, the sky darkening behind them, Juri had begun to truly feel free. The wind had blown through her hair, and it seemed that she had finally begun to let go of all of the death that had surrounded her. She could see that calm pass onto the others as they left Ohtori behind, and even Wakaba's motor had sounded clearer.

Speaking of Wakaba, Juri smirked as she remembered that the second that the sky filled with rose petals and they had turned off onto a dirt road, something inside of them severing, the car under them had disappeared and Juri and company landed on a naked girl. Wakaba had squeaked, scrambling to hide behind Juri, the only other girl in the group.

And Saionji, surprising everyone, had taken off his Student Council coat and handed it to the shivering girl. The green-haired man had also appeared to change, becoming kinder and calmer. Last Juri had seen of Wakaba and Saionji were when they were walking away after coming to the nearest town and an excursion to a discount clothes store, Wakaba hanging shyly onto Saionji's arm. They really did make a cute couple, and Juri was sure that the _genki_ girl would be a calming presence.

Looking down at Miki, Juri had smirked. Crossing her arms, she had asked, "So, where are you going now?"

The young boy had looked up at her, turning away to look out over the view of the city – Tokyo they had found out earlier – his blue bangs ruffling in front of his eyes. "I don't know," he said quietly, Juri only making him out with the help of a lone streetlight. She was leaning against the side of the rail that prevented people from jumping off the edge of the lookout. Sweeping back bangs that always managed to get in her way, she opened the top of her coat, letting cool air circulate through.

"Yeah…" she sighed, "I know what you mean." Pushing away from the railing, she suddenly said, "Here. Why don't we meet back here in a year and see where our lives have gone, huh?"

Miki stared at her for a second and then nodded. Turning to leave, he said, "Wonder where Utena and Anthy are…?"

Juri nodded. "Yeah… Me too."

And with one more sweet adolescent smile, Miki walked away, his blue hair blending into the night, heading in the same direction Wakaba and Saionji had gone.

And Juri, taking one last look at the town she was just about to venture in, mentally decided something. She was going to keep her ring, her locket, and head in the total opposite direction than the others had gone. Who knew if she was going to see Miki, Wakaba, Saionji, Utena or Anthy ever again. And Shiori.

But Shiori had said goodbye, hadn't she? She had used Juri to get to Anthy and Utena, and paid for it in the end. And Juri… Juri would try to get over her.

Suddenly coming back to the present, Juri stood up, brushing herself off. It was about time that her break was over, and her thoughts were depressing her.

She had been in the "Outside World" now for about two weeks, and it amazed her at how easy it was to find a job. She had shown up at the Crown Arcade, seeing the 'Help Wanted' sign. Motoki had evidentially seen something in her; she owed him for that. He had even helped her find an affordable apartment she could pay for with her wages. Still, she had taken a side job modeling again to get even more extra money so she didn't really have all that much free time.

But it was living, so she was happy. A veil had been removed from her eyes, and she was ready to find all that life had to give.

Reentering into the arcade, hearing the bells tinkle as the door opened, she smiled as the cold air struck her for a second, the air conditioner escaping into the outside. Walking back to the counter, she picked up her apron, grabbed herself a cool glass of water and ice, and settled down to wait and see if anyone needed help. Seeing that the arcade was more crowded than it had been, she checked the clock on the wall. It said fifteen minutes after twelve in the afternoon, so she figured that it was about the time that people had their lunch breaks. "Huh…" she mused to herself, "People must have walked past me when I was outside."

Suddenly, Motoki stuck out his head from the kitchen. "Hey, you hungry? Whaddya' want?" Ignoring her protests, he said, "One second," and reappeared, carrying a platter with food on it. Setting it in front of her, he said, "On me," and escaped back. Juri stared at the tray with wide eyes for a second, finally looking up to say, "You'd already prepared this for me before you asked, didn't you?"

The new chef poked out his head to say, "Mai-i-i-i-i-i-i-ibee…" and disappeared with a rakish grin.

Rolling her eyes, she hunkered down to eat, secretly delighted with Motoki's choice of a roast beef sandwich. Although the Crown Arcade had mostly American food, Motoki had included a side of curry for her, too, and she had just started eating that when a light voice cleared its throat. Looking up, the fork still stuck in her mouth, her green eyes widened when she saw who it was.

Tsukino Usagi stood there, looking up at her shyly, thrusting a yen note at her. "Uhm…tokens please," she giggled nervously.

Juri wasn't sure why she was so nervous, but she looked back at the table that the blonde's eyes kept returning to, only to see the other blonde – Minako, her brain clicked – giving Usagi thumbs up. When the girl saw Juri looking, however, she suddenly started whistling, acting as if she was innocent of something or other. The other girls in the group sweatdropped.

Returning her gaze back to the girl in front of her, Juri grinned and accepted the note, saying, "Video games, right? Which one are you interested in playing?"

"Huh? What?" Usagi started, obviously not expecting her to talk. She shook her head to center herself and said, "Oh, right. Hee hee. Uhm…probably the Sailor V game."

"Hmm. Haven't played that yet. Looks fun, though."

Suddenly, Usagi's eyes lit up and she stood up straight, saying eagerly, "Oh really? How long have you been here?"

"Here? Working here?" Juri asked, handing her the tokens.

Usagi accepted them, not really paying attention as she nodded.

"Well…" Juri started, mentally asking herself why it was so easy to talk to the smaller girl. Noticing her hairstyle and also noting that it suited her, making her extremely cute and classically beautiful, her gaze wandered to her blue eyes, and she mentally gasped. Motoki's statement that she was pure was so true that Juri couldn't bear it. Her eyes reminded her of Shiori's. Shiori's before she had started babbling about someone named Touga and taken into the clutch of the Headmaster, Anthy's brother. But Usagi's eyes were also wise, wiser than they should have been at her age.

Usagi's eyes troubled her so much that she had to avert her gaze, grabbing her fork to busy herself and took a bite of curry, chewing before she faced Usagi again.

***

As Juri turned away to take a bite of her food, oddly disturbed by something Usagi couldn't explain even if she tried to, the blonde decided to study the older woman. Noting the strong planes of her face and the almost masculine aura that surrounded the woman, confined by her beauty, she noticed that her orange hair perfectly curled around her face, adding gentleness to the softness of her neck. She was as tall as Haruka, and there was something about her that reminded Usagi of Haruka, too, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Her green eyes were piercing, and whenever they looked at Usagi, they captivated her whole attention, something pained in their depths. Her hands were strong and calloused, graceful.

Usagi found herself oddly poetic around the older woman, and she quickly glanced back at the table of the other _senshi_ to see if they noticed just how nervous Usagi actually was. There was just something about her voice…

Speaking of her voice, Juri had turned back to her as she was looking at the others for help, and was patiently waiting. "Uhm, I've been working here for about a week. Getting to know everyone, you know. Learn the ropes."

"I see," Usagi nodded, although she really didn't, never having held a job herself. Nervously twirling a straw that she had grabbed earlier, which had been sitting in a container on the counter, she suddenly asked, "Do you need someone to show you around _Juuban_?"

Juri blinked at her outburst, but then smiled. "Sure," she said happily, leaning forward, resting on her elbows, distractedly running a hand through an unruly bang that swung in front of her eyes with the motion.

Looking up into her eyes, Usagi blushed. "Uhm… What time do you get off today?"

"Today?"

"Well, if it's no problem. I mean, if you have something to do, then it could be later, and…" Usagi shut her mouth, realizing that she was babbling, and wondering why she was doing that anyway.

Juri surprised her by laughing. "No! Not at all. I don't have anything I need to do today," she said, seeing Usagi's puzzled expression. Smiling, and still seeing that Usagi didn't really understand why she had been laughing, she continued, "I'm sorry, but you reminded me of a fish. You know, gasping for something to say…?"

Usagi finally got it, nodding bashfully, feeling more than a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry, it's just…"

But the other girl cut her off. "No need. No need. I get off at five, if that isn't too late…?"

Instantly gratified, Usagi nodded eagerly, "No! That's fine. When should I meet you so you can have time to get ready after working?"

***

"Hey, hey, what do you think they're doing?" Minako excitedly whispered, tugging Rei's hair, who had the better vantage point.

Shooting an annoyed glance at the blonde, the Miko reclaimed her tresses and said, "I don't know. I can't hear them. What do you think I am, psychic?" Seeing everyone look at her, she amended, "Okay, I am, but I can't read minds and hear from that far away, alright? It seems to me that Usagi's making a fool of herself. Look! She's blushing!"

"Doesn't she always blush?" Makoto asked dryly.

Rei and Minako paused, looked at each other, and then nodded. "Yes," they said in unison.

Usagi approached then, absently playing with a straw at her side, a faraway look on her face. Instantly squealing up, Minako grabbed her hands, dragging her into the booth. "Spill!" she demanded, her blue eyes boring into the darker blue of the other blonde's.

"Spill what?" Usagi asked, looking clueless.

Rei sweatdropped. "About the waitress, baka! Wasn't that the whole point of you going over there?"

Usagi laughed sheepishly. "Oh yeah," she said nervously, "I forgot. She seemed nice."

"Nice? Nice? Yeah? What else? Where is she from? How old is she? Why's she working here? Does she want to feed on our nubile young flesh-ack!" Minako cut off when Makoto hit her on the back of the head with the book Ami had been reading, the blue-headed young girl blinking as it suddenly disappeared from her grasp. Rubbing her head, Minako shot her friend a glare. "Why'd you do that?" she demanded.

Makoto rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked, "Not everyone's like Haruka and Michiru."

"They wanted to feed on our nubile young flesh?" Minako asked curiously.

"NO!!" everyone shouted. Shaking her head exasperatedly, Rei admonished, "Jeez, what's with you and your 'nubile young flesh'? Is that the only thing that's on your mind?"

Behind her, Usagi nodded, a creepy expression coming onto her face. "Is there something you want to tell us, Minako-chan?"

"No! Of course not!" Minako shouted heatedly, twin red spots appearing on her face.

"I don't know about that…" Makoto mused, the brunette's eyes shimmering with suppressed laughter, "You seemed pretty interested in Haruka…"

"That was before I knew she was a GIRL!" Minako protested, forcing her hands onto her hips. "Besides, Mako-chan," she said snidely, "You seemed pretty interested in her yourself. Who was it that actually went on a 'date' with her and Michiru-san?"

Makoto had the grace to look embarrassed, "That wasn't a date, and you know it!" She glared at Minako, her green eyes boring into blue. They started growling at each other.

Behind them, Usagi sidled up to where Rei and Ami sat, Ami trying to ignore everything around her, burying herself into the book she had retrieved from Makoto, while the priestess was trying to appear as if she wasn't with the group. "Jeez, if they're acting like that just because Juri's new, what would they say if they knew that I was going on a date with her?" she mused. She missed Rei's wide eyed expression as Ami dropped her book with a splat, and shook her head, absently sipping the soda that was left unattended on the table.

"D-d-d-d-d-d-d-date?" Rei babbled, her violet eyes centered uncomprehending on the blonde's face.

"D-d-d-d-d-d-d-date?" Ami echoed, her face even redder than Rei's. Her reading glasses teetered awkwardly from one ear.

"Date?" Minako piped curiously up, instantly forgetting her argument with Makoto, her ears immediately catching onto the 'D' word. Grabbing Usagi's neck, she started to strangle her, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Spill! Inquiring minds want to know!"

"Aren't we back at the beginning?" Rei asked, one hand to her sinuses.

Ami nodded next to her, sighing, her eyes closed in tiredness.

Makoto squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and ventured into the cloud that the two blondes kicked up with their fray, trying with all her strength to disconnect Minako's grasp from Usagi's neck, the blonde rapidly turning the color blue.

***

"…C-c-c-can't… breathe…"

"Tell me tell me tell me tell me!!!"

Juri smirked, watching the commotion in the middle of the arcade. Resting her chin onto the back of her hand, she leaned onto the counter, finding it more comfortable than sitting up straight. Feeling a presence at her back, she turned her head just enough to catch Motoki out of the corner of her eye, and returned her gaze to the ensemble of girls. "Hmm," she mused, "Interesting companionship. I see what you mean."

Motoki grinned. "Yep," he agreed. And, if he wasn't mistaken, Juri was shortly going to be a part of the group. He had seen Usagi already reaching out towards the quieter woman. It's only a matter of time, he observed mentally. My God, Usagi can work fast.

For some reason, both of them were glad that they couldn't exactly hear what the group was talking about.


	2. Chapter 2

"Is it okay if I clean up tomorrow?" Juri called, untying her apron and throwing it down onto the counter. Running a tired hand through her orange bangs to straighten them out, she reached behind her head to release the rest of her locks she had secured into a pony tail earlier in the afternoon when the Tokyo weather had become hotter. Slipping the hair tie onto her wrist, she reclaimed her apron, disappearing through the door to put it into her locker and grab her gray sweatshirt. Entering back into the main room of the Crown Arcade, she bumped into Unazuki, Motoki's younger sister, who smiled brightly at her.

"Sure!" the girl exclaimed, answering for her brother. "I bet you have a date, huh?"

"No, not exactly…" Juri smiled, bemused at the automatic assumption made by the girl the same age as her, "Just because I never leave until after I'm supposed to and now am, does not indicate a 'date', per se. Usagi Tsukino's just showing me around the Juuban district, as I haven't had time to before."

"Ah… I see. Well, I hope you two have fun! Usagi-chan's not one that doesn't enjoy herself." With a wink, Unazuki escaped into the kitchen, the door closing behind her before Juri had the chance to ask her what she meant.

Juri arched an eyebrow. "Is it just me, or is it a family thing to disappear into the back when I'm talking to them?" she asked herself. Shaking her head, she shrugged into her sweatshirt, pulled her hair out of the back, and grabbed herself the water she had retrieved for herself earlier. Taking a cool sip, she glanced at the clock, and seeing that it said she had a couple of minutes till the time that she actually had to meet Usagi at the front of the arcade, she went to find her brush.

"If there's one thing hard with having long hair," she grumbled to herself, acknowledging that she had let her orange mane grow even longer than she had during the last months of her time at Ohtori, "it's that you have to continually make sure it looks alright. Wonder if Usagi knows a good place to get it cut?" She mentally laughed, realizing that Usagi had even longer hair than she did.

She absentmindedly congratulated herself on not letting her mind wander to Shiori as she thought of Ohtori.

Using the mirror that Motoki had set up in the back, she looked into her own tired green eyes, and smiled lopsidedly. "You're doing it, Juri, old girl. You're doing it. You're living again. You may find someone to replace Shiori after all."

Her lips quirked up into a smirk, "Maybe Usagi has some friends…?" Instantly finding humor in her last statement to herself, she shook her head. "Nah… Not ready to go there yet. It'll just be nice to go out on a friendly outing with Usagi."

As if on cue, Usagi's voice piped up from the front, and with one last look in the mirror to see if she looked presentable, Juri went to meet the blonde.

***

Slightly embarrassed that she might have hurried Juri out of something she had needed to do, Usagi waited in front of the counter, half of her attention fixed onto Unazuki who chatted brightly with her, the other half waiting until the taller woman appeared from the back.

"I swear, this weather's getting stranger and stranger," Unazuki commented, sweeping reddish-brown hair away from her eyes, "Wasn't it strange how we suddenly got a heat wave in the middle of April? I thought it wasn't until May that it started getting warmer."

"Mmhmm," Usagi commented, "But you know what that means!"

"What?" the other girl asked, leaning in closer to hear what her friend had to say.

"We now have more excuses for the guys to buy us ice cream!" Usagi said triumphantly. "Nothing's more romantic than your boyfriend buying you ice cream and then walking you down around the lake as it begins to get dark, your arm safely held in his…"

The two girls sighed, hearts appearing in their eyes. "Ah… I wish I had a boyfriend," Unazuki finally murmured.

Usagi nodded, sighing wistfully, "I know what you mean."

"But you have Mamoru-san!"

"Yeah, but he's still in America!" she defended. "Besides, he doesn't send me as many letters as he once did. He's too caught up in studying for his finals." Bowing her head for a second, her whole demeanor suddenly brightened as she jumped up, pumping her fist into the air, "He's coming home this summer though! Three more months and then I get to see him again!"

"See who again?"

Jumping in shock at the low voice that came from behind her, Usagi shivered. "Don't DO that!" she uttered for the second time that day, rounding onto the amused expression on Juri's face.

"I'm sorry," the older woman amended, looking entirely different in the jeans and casual sweatshirt she had pulled on instead of the apron. Her green eyes twinkled, and she asked again, "Who are you going to see again?"

Usagi blushed, suddenly shy at the question her new friend had asked, and not entirely sure why she didn't want to answer the question.

Seeing that she wasn't about to answer the question anytime soon, Unazuki butt in, "Her boyfriend. He's coming home from studying in America."

"Ah," Juri nodded, "I see."

"Yeah, well…" Suddenly, Usagi burst up, standing straight. "What about you, Juri-san? Do you have a boyfriend?"

She watched curiously as Juri appeared to choke at her question.

"Uhm, ah, no," Juri cleared her throat, "Not…lately."

"Why not?"

"Uhm… Been too busy."

Deciding to take her word for it, and noticing that Juri was avoiding her eyes while in the process of answering, Usagi nodded her head, grabbed Juri's hand, and started to tug her out of the arcade, calling behind her shoulder, "See you later Unazuki!"

***

Walking the streets, Juri watched as eager expressions easily crossed her companion's face at each new place that she obviously had cherished memories at, pointing out locations and stores with childish glee and a permanent high note in her voice. Somewhere along the process, Usagi had grabbed her arm, leaning into her for warmth as the night grew colder. Juri didn't really mind. Why should she?

Chuckling at the face Usagi made at discovering that her favorite ice cream stand was closed, Juri offered a smile and said, trying to soothe her, "Hey. How 'bout that place in the mall you showed me earlier? We could go spring by there later and I'll buy a cone for you."

Usagi's eyes lit up, and she stopped, lifting her chin to meet Juri's gaze, "Really? Thank you, Juri-senpai!"

Senpai? Juri's eyes widened slightly, and she paused. "Look, ah… Usagi."

"Yes?" Usagi looked curiously up, taking her attention away from where she was looking at a family of ducks bobbing in the water of the lake.

"You don't have to call me senpai. I'm only one year older than you, and where I just…uhm…moved from, we didn't really use honorifics." Which was true, she rationalized, thinking that only the Rose Bride has used them in her address of her Prince. "So you can call me anything you want; I won't mind."

"So I can call you 'Ri-chan'?"

Juri blinked and her mouth dropped open. "…What?"

Usagi laughed. Reaching up a hand to shut her mouth, she winked. "Not really gonna call you that, mind you, but it's cute! Live a little." Looking altogether too young than she should, being a senior in high school, Usagi giggled again, looking like a cat that just ate something nice, and skipped ahead on the path through the park after dropping Juri's arm. "Don't fall behind _too_ much, Ri-chan!"

Juri laughed and shook her head. Reaching up to rearrange her bangs, she took her hands out of the front pocket on her sweatshirt and hurried forward, her longer legs easily catching up to the energetic blonde. Tweaking a ponytail, she joked, "I wouldn't do that, Gi-chan."

She watched as Usagi spluttered. "Gi-chan!? Gi-chan!? Do you know _how_ disgusting that sounds!? It's like a pet!"

Juri nodded, smiling broadly, "Exactly. Like a bunny."

"Argh! Fine, I'll only call you Ri-chan on special occasions if you swear you'll never call me Gi-chan again." Usagi turned pleading eyes up to her.

Looking into the deep blue eyes, Juri finally relented, "Alright." Unbidden, a similar time where eyes exactly like those had looked up to her flashed through her mind, and her good mood instantly vanished. Reaching for her locket, she stopped midway up her chest and instead rubbed her hand where her ring seemed to burn. Turning away from Usagi, she said tightly, her throat thick, "Alright."

"Juri-san?" Usagi's voice came quietly, and she tentatively put a hand onto Juri's arm. Juri couldn't stop her muscles from contracting under her touch, and she took a deep breath to steady herself.

She hated how her breath rattled even in her ears.

Pasting a tired smile on her face, she raised her head. "It's alright, Usagi. Just memories."She assured herself, putting more strength behind her voice, "That's all."

"You sure?"

Juri nodded. "Yes."

Usagi's mouth was set and her eyes were determined, but she finally nodded, and Juri understood all that Motoki had told her earlier.

Usagi really did care. Even with people she had just met. Their own conversation before just testified to that. They had easily fallen into a ritual of conversation where it seemed that they had been old friends, not having just met for the first time that day.

Smiling amiably, she gently took Usagi's hands into her own and squeezed. "It's nothing, really. Thank you for caring." She dropped the other girl's hands, noticing that when her ring gently brushed against the other's skin, it didn't seem as cumbersome as it once had. "Now, how about that ice cream? Have any other places to show me?"

Usagi smiled broadly, "I'm always ready for ice cream! Haven't you noticed at the arcade?" Skipping ahead, she asked, "By the way, what time is it?"

Juri shrugged. "Don't know; don't have a watch. Haven't gotten around to buying one yet. Why? Is there any place you have to go at a certain time?"

Usagi looked guilty. "Well…" she started, drawing out the syllables, "My parents like me back before eleven, and I just like to see what time it is from time to time. S'all."

Ah. Juri shook her head again. "I'm not that great at time, but it seems like we only left the Arcade, and that was around 5:30, give or take, so I don't really think you have a problem. We could check at the parlor. Why?" Juri grinned wryly, "You really think that we'll stay out that long? I don't know about you, but I tend to have short first dates before anything else."

She watched, amused, as Usagi's whole face erupted in a giant blush. "Juri no baka! You really think this a first date?"

At her tone, Juri chuckled and shook her head, causing her orange bangs to brush against her eyelashes, and she closed her green eyes momentarily to brush them away. "No, Usagi. I'm just kidding. What? You thought I was serious?"

Usagi let out a sigh of relief, and Juri couldn't help but add in before she got too comfortable, "You have a boyfriend, besides. I'd only go after you if I really thought I had a chance."

The blonde drew herself up straight and threw her hands out. "Sometimes I don't know when you guys are serious or not!" she postulated, "It drives me so crazy!"

"Guys?" Juri couldn't help but ask. This was interesting. Who else pretended to flirt with Usagi?

"My friend Haruka. I swear, you guys are so alike it's a little scary."

Hmm. Maybe Usagi was as open minded as she thought. To have friends that flirted with her and seriously enough not to know if they were kidding or not, that greatly added to the chance that Usagi wouldn't really care when –and if- she eventually told her. Or found out. Yeah.

Wait a second. Her mind traveling back to the scene earlier in the arcade with the other blonde and the whole group and how they had acted when Usagi had come up alone and everything, things seemed to click. "Oh. I see," she began, "That's why, earlier, at work, everyone hounded onto you after you talked to me, right?"

Usagi guiltily blushed. "Was that so obvious?" she asked in a small voice, and at Juri's nod, she sweatdropped. "Great," she muttered, "Gonna have to tell Minako to tone it down somewhat. She has that tendency, you know." A thought occurred to her, and she looked up. "Hope it doesn't offend you," she asked, her gaze showing nothing false in her question, genuinely concerned that Juri would dislike her.

"Usagi. No. No, it doesn't. I've been called worse." And some not so true, she thought, remembering everything at Ohtori and how loose the tongues were there. Too bad Shiori was not one to keep her mouth shut…

No. Squash that thought. Think of happy things. Happy thoughts.

She realized that Usagi was still waiting for her.

Resettling herself on her feet, she looked around, spotted a bench not too far from where they were standing, and suddenly said, "I'm getting tired of standing around. Let's sit."

"Oh. Okay," Usagi agreed, her voice making it clear that she hadn't been expecting that statement. Her unladylike sprawl onto the bench did nothing to help the image that she was unaffected though. Once again Juri was reminded that Usagi really was like no one she had met at Ohtori Academy. The unsettling realization that she remembered nothing before Ohtori Academy had nothing to do with it either. Usagi was unique. Hadn't she already allowed Juri to relax enough around her that she didn't seem as unapproachable as usual?

"Odango-chan?" a deep, slightly husky voice asked from above them, surprise evident in the tone. Looking up, Usagi's expression brightened unquestionably and she squealed, jumping to her feet. Juri's gaze followed to the pair that stood there.

A slightly masculine looking young woman stood there, dressed pretty much the same as Juri, herself, her sandy-blonde hair cropped short enough that she could pass as a male. Next to her stood a shorter girl, shoulder-length aquamarine hair framing her obviously feminine face, a serene expression placed there, her blue eyes a little distant. It was obvious to Juri that they were together and the corner of her lips twitched up. This must be 'Haruka', she thought. They also seemed to be about her own age.

Wow, does Usagi have good taste in friends, she added, her eyes lingering a little bit longer on the aquamarine-haired one.

Her speculation proved to be correct as Usagi cried out, "Haruka-san! Michiru-san! What brings you out this night?"

The sandy-blonde haired one stepped forward, reaching out to affectionately ruffle Usagi's hair, before answering, "Enjoying the night air."

"It's always so peaceful at this time in the evening," the one named Michiru, Juri guessed, offered, smiling gently.

So that made the other one Haruka.

Haruka's gaze slid to where Juri still sat, content to sit back and observe, and her blue eyes narrowed a bit. "Odango," her voice was full of warning, "Who's this?"

Hmm. Juri's eyebrows wanted to rise. Haruka seemed possessive of the younger girl. Not that she could blame her, of course. It was just interesting to see just how much Usagi inspired in everyone, if Motoki and his sister were no exception.

Usagi, oblivious to the tension, turned to face Juri again and grabbed her hands, hauling her up, smiling brightly. "This is…uhm…" Usagi's brow furrowed, and Juri realized that she had neglected to give the younger girl her last name.

Butting in, she smiled amusedly. "Arisuguwa."

Usagi finally smiled, nodding her head as if she should have known in the first place. "Right. This is Arisuguwa Juri. She's the new waitress at the Crown Arcade. She just moved here, so I'm showing her around Juuban."

"Ah. I see. Konban wa," Haruka said politely, and bowed, "I'm Tenoh Haruka." She offered her hand, and Juri accepted, shaking firmly, bowing back. When Haruka let go a second later, she felt as if she had passed a test when Haruka's gaze softened almost imperceptivity.

"Well, that leaves me, I believe. I'm Kaioh Michiru. Nice to meet you." Michiru also offered her hand, and Juri shook that too, marveling at how elegantly she had managed to do so.

Seeing that everyone appeared to be getting along, Usagi suddenly snapped up, grabbed Juri's arm, and started to drag her down the path. As she did so, Juri could hear her muttering under her breath, "Ice cream, ice cream, ice cream!"

Chuckling, she called over her shoulder, "You're welcome to join us, Michiru, Haruka. I'm sure Usagi would appreciate the company!"

***

Over her ice cream sundae, Usagi watched as Haruka sized her new friend up, who appeared to not be affected in the least, calmly sipping her chocolate milkshake. Michiru, now used to Haruka's appraisal of everyone and anyone, just sat next to her partner, drinking from her tea, having elected to not eat ice cream at the moment. It was actually quite funny, the blonde thought, idly licking her spoon to get the last dredges of her mint chocolate chip, mentally squealing when she discovered a lone chocolate chip stuck to the side; she licked that too. Hmm, it was so much fun not acting her age, she thought, and ordered another sundae when the waiter came near.

Wow, she caught herself thinking when she glanced up, looking between Haruka and Juri, they really do sort of remind me of each other. They're about the same height, and tease me the same way! In fact, I could have sworn it was Haruka teasing me earlier instead of Juri, back there in the park. Well, her brow furrowed, that was until Juri suddenly grew quiet. Hmm. She must hurt awfully to have that amount of sadness cross her face.

"So where did you move from?" Michiru asked in her gentle tones, and Usagi brought herself back to the conversation, looking at her companion curiously to see what she answered.

Juri looked uncomfortable for a second, something Usagi had noticed she did whenever she asked a personal question. Her green eyes clouded over for a second as she appeared to disappear inside herself and she frowned, her fingers rubbing the ring she wore on her left hand. Her orange bangs swung in front of her face, obscuring her expression for a moment and her shoulders drew in.

Taking a deep breath, the older woman finally relaxed and she looked up, smiling reassuringly. Usagi, Michiru and Haruka exchanged glances over her head.

"Uhm…I don't know if you'd have heard of it, but I've spent some past years of my life in Ohtori." Juri paused, and her deep voice seemed hesitant to say more.

Haruka frowned. She exchanged a glance with Michiru, who was prompted to ask, "Ohtori, Japan?"

"Yes." Juri nodded. "I believe that it's about a hundred miles north of here – I don't know. I drove most of the way here. Well, my friend did, and I didn't pay attention to the land." Juri's lips twitched up and she appeared to find something she said amusing.

Tilting her head, Usagi, desperate to reach a topic that wouldn't send her new friend into herself, asked, "How long have you known Motoki-kun? He doesn't usually give jobs to people that, well," Usagi realized that she was beginning to sound rude and hurriedly ended her question, "that he doesn't know well!"

To her relief, the orange-haired woman laughed softly, grinning. Taking a sip of her milkshake before she answered, her eyes swept over Haruka and Michiru who sat across from her and then stopped her gaze on Usagi, who felt a little bit overwhelmed with everything and her faux pass. "No, it's alright. Actually, I met Motoki about two weeks ago when I went in to ask about the job they had advertised in the window."

"You should have applied, Odango-chan," Haruka teased up, "You could have eaten anything you wanted at any time. Sounds like paradise to me, eh?"

Usagi started to mock glare at her, but Juri butt in, "Actually, Motoki does have the tendency to feed me when I don't even know I'm hungry. I think he likes to experiment on me, Unazuki having told him to stop long ago.

"Anyway, surprisingly, Motoki hired me even though I didn't really have anything to my name, and even told me about an apartment not far away from the arcade that was pretty cheap. He likes to take care of people, doesn't he?"

Usagi nodded exuberantly, "Yeah! When Motoki-kun went off to college, I missed all the free milkshakes he gave me. And his company, of course," she added after seeing the indrawn giggle Michiru was holding behind her hand.

Michiru lowered her hand and smiled softly. Addressing the woman across from her, she tilted her head, and gently slipping some dark bangs behind her ear, she asked, "Have I seen you before? Like,"

"Like in magazines?" Juri appeared to look embarrassed, and Usagi leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she realized that she was going to learn something interesting about her new friend. Juri coughed, her gaze roaming everywhere but at them, and she finally said, "Yeah. Probably. Maybe. I've, ah, modeled before. Sebastion Dior, you know. It's a side job."

"Modeling!? You're a model!?" Usagi screeched excitedly, and she latched onto Juri, who almost spilled her shake, "That's amazingly cool! How long have you done it? No wonder – you're so pretty. What magazines have you been in?" This new information made the enigmatic woman next to her even more interesting, and Usagi, being the person she was with the pop culture, wanted to know everything about the industry.

She found it kind of funny that Juri blushed when she inadvertently toppled into the woman's lap in her enthusiasm. Well, she would have found it funny if she hadn't been the one to fall. As it was, her nose slammed into her friend's chest on her way down, finally landing askew on Juri's legs, her face planted onto the hard bench of the booth and her arms stretched out straight in front of her. She immediately felt her face warm with a neon red blush, and realizing that there was nothing she could say that could pardon her, settled down to the sad task of being embarrassed.

***

Haruka raised her eyebrow at the display and decided to say nothing. The expression on Usagi's new friend said it all. Meeting Juri's gaze, she grinned and quipped, "I forgot to mention – Usagi-chan tends to get excited."

Juri nodded solemnly, and started to help Usagi up, wincing when Usagi bumped into the table on her way up.

Haruka could hear the blonde muttering under her breath, "I seem to spend a lot of time under the table. It CAN'T be healthy," and exchanged smiles with Michiru, already having heard about earlier that day from Hotaru, who had heard it from Chibi-Usa, who, in turn, had gotten the gossip from Makoto and the girls, who loved talking about everything. Haruka, in a way, missed that part of her and Michiru's self decision to not get that close to the group as a whole, preferring to stay in their complex with Hotaru and Setsuna. It really did not afford them the luxury of idle gossip.

Almost as if deducing her mood and thoughts, Michiru's hand snaked out and gently took hers in her grasp. Squeezing, Haruka looked into the cool blue eyes of her partner, seeing her love there, and answered back with her own emotion. She had always been blessed with Michiru, and she hoped that the young aquamarine headed goddess knew that.

Dropping her hand and turning back to see Usagi righted, one hand to her head, she grinned at the bright red hue of her face. Their princess really did not have that great a grasp on her blushes.

Her eyes narrowing again, her gaze centered onto Juri. She had realized, of course. And it only bugged her how Juri seemed to look at Usagi and Michiru a little. After all, Juri had to have exceptionally good taste. At least she realized that Michiru was taken. But did she realize that Usagi was…?

***

Bidding Haruka and Michiru goodnight and watching as they walked away into the night air, Juri sighed. At least SOME people could have the good fortune of actually ending up together… Shaking her head, she said softly, "Well, they seem like nice people."

Usagi, next to her and also looking at her friend's retreating backs, nodded. Absently taking Juri's arm, she snuggled in after a cool gust of wind blew past. "I can't believe it got so late so fast," she murmured, and Juri could feel the vibrations through her gray sweatshirt.

Gaily lacing her arm formally through the smaller blonde's, she cocked her head, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Would you like me to walk you home, fair maiden? I greatly appreciated your tour of your fair homestead, but alas. I feel your parents will worry if we tarry more."

Usagi looked up, and Juri quirked a smile to show that she was teasing. Tossing back her hair arrogantly, she disengaged her arm only to kneel, and, in front of the ice cream parlor, offered her hand. Slightly surprised at herself, she paused, shrugged, and continued.

Maybe, she rationalized, that was the reason why Utena had wanted to be a prince. Who knew that at least even acting it could send her an energy rush? She felt slightly self-conscious, but that was to be expected. In the middle of the street, and doing something she had never done before… But somehow, looking into Usagi's shock-filled eyes, she felt that her actions were right, true…and something she had done before.

"Princess?" Her mouth twitched, and she waited.

Usagi stared at her for a second, and a high blush started to bloom on her face, but she finally offered Juri her hand, tentatively touching her fingertips. Juri smiled, and instantly all of her apprehensions disappeared. Rising, she let Usagi lead her to her home. Silence filled their already noisy afternoon.

Pausing at the gates outside of Usagi's household, Usagi suddenly turned and flung herself into her arms, hugging her tightly. Drawing away, she smiled brightly, stopped, wrinkled her nose, and then drew herself up straight. Saying haughtily, she sniffed, "Thank you, kind knight, for escorting me home. Verily, we should do this later. There are still haunts that we have yet come upon."

"Verily?"

"Verily," Usagi grinned, "I don't know if that really works or not, but so what. It sounds old talky like, doesn't it?"

At Juri's nod, Usagi brightened, and she completely de-morphed out of the princess act, giggling. "Oh, that was so much fun!" She playfully slapped Juri's shoulder.

Juri laughed, and she swept a hand through her bangs, "Really?"

The blond nodded eagerly, "Really! I admit, when you first started to kneel, I was embarrassed. I didn't think that was something you probably usually did."

Nope. Certainly not, Juri thought. I mean, look at me at Ohtori. Appearance was everything. How could Usagi easily erase every wall she had built up surrounding her ego? Smirking to get herself out of her thoughtful mood, she reached out a hand and tugged one of Usagi's ponytails. "Not really. I usually don't do theatrical…uhm…events like that. I hope you don't mind. It just seemed like an amusing way to end a thoroughly entertaining day. Thank you for showing me around Juuban.

"Now," she looked away from the younger girl's face for a second, her gaze roaming curiously over the house that the blonde lived in, and stopped. "Uh… Is that your…father…? ...Looking out of the window…?"

Usagi instantly sweatdropped. Scurrying around Juri so she could peer over her shoulder without being noticed, having to do it, Juri found amusing, by standing on her tip toes. "Oh my God…" she muttered, expelling a breath. Relaxing back onto the soles of her feet, she sighed, "Does he really have to do this? It's just you!

"No offense," she quickly added, seeing Juri's raised eyebrow.

Juri didn't have one. In fact, she actually found the circumstances quite funny, to say the least. Surprising Usagi by bursting out laughing, she leaned against the concrete wall of the Tsukino Residence until she could catch her breath. Brushing bangs away after they swung into her eyes with the shaking of her head, Juri patted Usagi on the head, bowed, politely said good night, and started to walk away.

"Hey! Juri-san! Juri-san!"

Turning, Juri waited to see what Usagi had to say. The blonde stood there, her hands at her sides, and she suddenly grinned; Juri could just imagine devil's horns and a little waving tail appear on her body, "I had a fun time, Ri-chan!"

And she scurried into her house.

Juri laughed softly into the cool night air, absently hugging her arms to herself. Drawing up her hood to shield herself from the neutral wind that swept past, she began her trek to her apartment, her inner map telling her that she had about a ten minute walk from where she was. Taking one last look to memorize the surroundings of Usagi's house, for if she ever needed to go there again, Juri's thoughts ran to what had transpired that day, and its activities.

She smirked. Usagi was so cute. She reminded her of Wakaba when she first met Utena, and then the Prince Onion guy, Juri could never remember his name. And HOW could Usagi pack so much away into her small frame? Juri had watched her eat earlier that day at the Arcade, and she had figured that she would have been stuffed for a while after that, but, in total surprise for the orange-haired woman, Usagi had still found room for two double chocolate sundaes and a milkshakes afterwards.

Looking at the moon that shone overhead, Juri shook her head ruefully. How could she have known that talking with Haruka and Michiru would last so long? It had been fun, really fun, talking with the two sophisticated women, that, unfortunately, Juri felt rude for leaving Usagi behind a bit in the conversation. But, after hearing about Juri's work as a model and promising to bring Usagi along on the next shoot, the blonde had seemed content with just listening to their talk about college and the arts.

Both Haruka and Michiru had seemed pretty knowledgeable about the classics and music, and Juri had had a fun time discussing both those parts of class, that, coincidentally enough, she was studying at the local college.

Juri thought ironically to herself, idly kicking at some leaves that lay on the sidewalk, watching them scatter, sitting in an ice cream parlor talking about music theory and history was not something she had planned when she accepted Usagi's offer of showing her around.

And back to Usagi.

The energetic blonde, with a touch of nostalgic memory that totally infuriated Juri in that her mind would not give her a rest, somehow reminded her of Shiori before she had…changed. There were just so many things about them both that Juri couldn't help but notice. This, unfortunately, gave Juri an already tainted view of how she observed the younger girl. Their smile, and total concentration of you when they were looking at you… Juri's heart squeezed, and she had to stop, looking up into the moonlight, letting it bathe her face into silver.

But Usagi was totally different. Just because her demeanor was similar to that of… No. Juri's hand absently squeezed her locket. She had promised to herself that she would give herself a chance to move on. And she was darn well ready to try. Making friends with Usagi was just the first step.


	3. Chapter 3

Usagi kicked off her shoes inside the doorway, said a passing hello to her mother and father, and sped up into her room, slamming her door behind her and flopping down onto her bed, landing in a heap facedown. Staying in that position for a while before her need to breathe became too great, she rolled over and began to study her ceiling. A slight sound and the feeling of a sudden depression in the mattress next to her heralded Luna's arrival. Craning her head to the side to peek at her feline guardian, she smiled and lifted a hand to gently brush the black cat's head, feeling the softness as Luna leaned into her touch.

Luna was feeling affectionate tonight.

Sitting up and pulling her into her arms, settling her onto her lap while drawing her legs under her, she began her nightly task of smoothing out her cat's fur and all around just loving her. Luna and Usagi had started that ritual about a year and a half ago after reaching a truce of sorts. After almost losing Luna to a daimohn, and watching her knit and heal in the veterinarian's office, not knowing if she was going to live or not, Usagi had realized just how much the short-haired guardian of hers really did matter to her. Luna had been there from the beginning and had essentially made Usagi who she was. She had been a hard mentor, but a true and fair one, only doing and saying what she had because she cared for her fair-haired charge. And Usagi wanted to thank her for what she had done. Acknowledge her dedication. So she cared for Luna, pampering her as even an unnatural cat, a Lunarian, which Luna was, would want. She petted her.

And besides, it let Usagi know that she was needed when the small cat purred contently in her arms.

"So how was your day, Usagi-chan?" Luna asked drowsily, spreading out her toes as she stretched her forelegs, "Did any of your studying pay off?"

And there she was again. Usagi grinned. Being as predictable as always. Shifting a bit, she paused petting Luna for a second to rearrange the bedding under her legs, and then softly scratched the fuzzy ears that eagerly pointed up for her touch. Ah yes. At least one animal – or person, her brain couldn't help but snip in – who always appreciated what she did.

Usagi giggled, lifting one hand to cover her mouth. How would she address Juri? "Eventful," she finally decided on.

"Eventful? In what way?"

"Oh, I met a totally kakkoi person today…" she sighed, playing up her reaction just to get Luna curious. Usagi could be devious when she wanted to be and nobody else was in on the scam.

"Usagi…" Usagi could hear the warning in her mentor's voice, and she only just managed to hold back her giggle, "You and Mamoru-san…"

"Yes, I KNOW, Luna," Usagi chided gently, "But I don't think Mamoru has to worry about HER." She waited for that comment to sink in before continuing, "She's just…different. That's where I was before I came home. I was showing her around Juuban."

"Oh? Is she new in Tokyo?" Luna shifted to have her belly scratched, her red eyes coming up to meet Usagi's, her yellow crescent moon glinting in the light Usagi had somehow managed to switch on in her mad dash home.

"Uhm… Not really. Kinda, but yes. She came from somewhere north of here called Ohtori. Wouldn't talk much about it though." Usagi frowned, suddenly pensive. Her eyebrows drew together, and she bit her lip lightly. "There's a lot she seems to hesitate talking about," she muttered.

"Well, there are people that aren't like you, ready to tell everything," Luna reminded, but didn't really sound condescending.

"Oh, I know, I know. Not everyone wears their heart on their sleeve, right?"

Luna yawned, and Usagi grinned. "Stop it!" she teased, "You're making me sleepy, and there's things I want to talk to you about!"

Luna made a sound of acquiescence, and settled down into her lap after burrowing a bit to find a more comfortable spot between Usagi's legs. All through this conversation, Usagi's hand had been idly stroking her sides in a familiar pattern. Down her head, to the scruff after in-between her ears and sometimes moving to teasingly scratch the bridge of her nose, or an ear here and there, and then smoothing out her flanks and down her tail, languidly stroking until the tip was lost to her fingers, and then repeated.

It was both meditative to Luna as it was to Usagi. The act always allowed Usagi's mind to wander.

She had always wanted a pet when she had been younger, but when Shingo had come around and her father Kenji had had to accept another job after Ikuko, Usagi's mother, had quit her occupation as a corporate lawyer to become a stay-at-home mom, they just couldn't afford to have one. So Usagi had to have been content with the visits to the zoo and the pet store whenever they went to the mall. But then she had found Luna, and Luna had come to stay.

A knock on her bedroom door put a halt to her thoughts, and she looked up. Calling out for whoever it was to come in, the door swung open to reveal the pink haired head of her future daughter.

"U-u-u-usagi-chan!" Chibi-Usa seemed to say triumphantly, swinging into the room and shutting the door after her, "I heard all about your embarrassment at the arcade today! I can't believe that you'll be the future ruler of the universe. Wait till Mamo-chan hears about this!"

Sighing, Usagi flopped down, jarring Luna from her seat, and flung one hand over her eyes. Not now… Giving up, she patted the space next to her. Normally, she would have replied Chibi-Usa with an insult, but she wasn't in the mood. Her night with Juri had placed her in a happy frame of mind, and she was going to try her hardest to keep it.

"So," she began, looking into her future daughter's pink eyes, "What did you hear?"

Luna, disgruntled, licked her paw on Usagi's pillow, cocked her head, and for all appearances, seemed to be waiting for the gossip. Usagi shot her an annoyed look, but understood. If she wasn't going to be able to be told directly, it was best knowing anyway.

"Honestly, Usagi-chan," Chibi-Usa said, flopping back her pigtails, "I thought you were too mature to snoop under tables with Minako-chan. Doesn't seem like princess-like behavior to me."

Usagi grabbed the younger girl's feet and started to tickle her mercilessly. "Don't talk to me about un-princess-like behavior, baka!" she said triumphantly as Chibi-Usa squealed, tears coming to her eyes.

Laughing, Chibi-Usa somehow managed to disengage herself from the blonde's grip, and tackled her back onto the bed, Luna jumping off in alarm of being squashed under the two.

And the tickle war commenced, neither of them giving up, already well versed in the areas of the greatest ammunition, until Usagi's mother called the two of them down for a late dinner. They agreed to an uneasy truce, knowing that somewhere, sometime, they would find out who was the better tickler.

***

Juri entered her dark apartment, took off her sweatshirt, and disappeared into the kitchen. Switching on the lights in the room and watching it chase away the shadows into the corners, she groaned when she saw the pile of dirty dishes she had left in the sink, but told herself she was going to clean them after her shower. Taking one last look at the sorry sight, she grabbed herself a Cherry Coke from the refrigerator, grimaced at the insubstantial contents, and popped the soda can open. Taking a sip and savoring the cold taste, she switched off the light and walked back into the living room where she collapsed onto her couch. Placing her soda onto the coffee-table, she grabbed the TV remote and switched on the piece of equipment it belonged to.

Flipping through the channels distractedly, Juri stopped when she came upon the ending of a commercial that had one of the girls Usagi hung out with at the arcade on screen, dressed in a Miko's clothes. Wracking her brain, she came up with a name, Hino Rei, and watched as she advertised a spring festival that appeared to be taking place at the Shinto shrine Juri passed every day on her way to and from work the next Saturday.

Her lips curling, Juri sat back. Looks interesting, she thought. Maybe I'll go. Though, do I have a traditional kimono? Well, I should have one anyway.

The commercial ended and she ended up watching a news documentary on a group of ten Sailor Soldiers or something that apparently fought evil and had saved Tokyo from numerous evil aliens and such who had started there in their quest for world dominance. It was actually quite interesting, and when the show was over, Juri switched off the TV with an idea to ask Usagi about them when she saw her next.

The whole idea of the world being saved by sailor suit wearing girls didn't seem any odder than Ohtori being saved by two girls – one a car – and Juri wondered how the academy had never been impacted in the least. The rest of the world, the show had announced, had already taken notice, and delegates had even been sent by the major powers of the world to talk with the superheroes, but Sailor Moon, the leader of the group, had always declined meeting with them. Perhaps Akio had made a barrier around Ohtori? Would make sense, she thought, I hadn't even begun to think about leaving until Utena came.

Standing, she dusted off her legs, drained the last of her Cherry Coke, and headed into her bathroom, all purposes intent on taking a shower when her phone rang.

That was odd, she thought. Glancing at the clock, she frowned. It was already ten o'clock in the evening, and the only person who had her phone number was Motoki, and he didn't really strike her as a person who would intrude that late in the evening. Regardless, the phone rang again, and Juri picked up to at least stop the shrill sound. Expecting a phone solicitor, she was little irritated when she said hello and nobody answered. Saying hello again for good measure, she was just about to hang up when a too familiar voice started talking.

"Hello, Juri."

"What!?" Juri's eyes widened and her breath expelled out of her, her throat tightening.

"Did you miss me, Juri?"

Her name echoed, and the voice hung up.

Juri dropped the phone, finding it hard to breathe. Her heartbeat thundered in her head and she dropped to her knees, one hand clenching her forehead where a headache pounded. Her bangs swung in front of her eyes as she hunched over. Hugging herself tightly with one arm, she put her head in her hand and cried.

It was an hour before she moved from the floor and stumbled into the bathroom, letting the warm water drench her aching eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

Motoki looked up from his newspaper when Juri stumbled into the Crown Arcade five minutes before her shift started. Her face seemed dreary, devoid of emotion, and her eyes were red-rimmed. Her curls, normally bouncy and perfectly framing her face were unraveling, her long orange hair cascading down her back, completely obscuring her neck. Noting that she appeared to be wearing the same clothes she had worn two days ago, rumpled and disarrayed, he frowned. Usually Juri took extra care in her appearance. It wasn't like she did the whole makeup scene, but she kept herself clean and almost took pride in her long mane of hair. To see her like this was surprising.

Before Motoki had a chance to ask if Juri was okay, the woman steered herself to the back, reappeared with her apron and tied it on, all without loosing the glassy look in her eyes. She started to wipe down the counter and tables, her face emotionless like a slab of rock, not looking at anything. It was like she was looking through Motoki and Unazuki, not at them, not even mumbling back the good morning Motoki said merrily to her. Exchanging worried glances with his younger sister, the sandy-blonde headed man shrugged, went to open the arcade, and went back to start making the breakfast food he knew people would ask for.

He had time to query Juri later, didn't he?

***

Usagi quickened her steps, almost bouncing on the soles of her feet as she urged Naru faster. "C'mon, Naru-chan! Can't we get there any quicker? I want to see Juri-san again! Besides, you haven't met her yet, have you?"

Her redheaded friend stopped to take a rest, her face becoming pink as she rested her hands on her knees and sucked in deep, refreshing breaths. "Jeez, Usagi-chan!" she protested, looking through her bangs to see the blonde's impatient expression, "Can't you just slow down a little? Why do you want to see this 'Juri person' that badly, anyway? I thought you had another one of those studying sessions you have with the other girls today?"

Usagi had the grace to blush, and she looked down for a second, mumbling under her breath at how they could wait and they didn't need her _that_ badly. Seeing Naru straightening, she brightened, jumped up again, grabbed her slower friend by the arm and started tugging her in the direction of the arcade down the street. "Because Juri-san's sweet, that's why," she explained, "And she appears to need a friend."

"And you want to be that friend," Naru finished, retracting her arm as she managed to keep up with Usagi for about five steps before Usagi, impatient, ran ahead. "Usagi! Stop! Please. Can't we just walk? It's not that far, look!"

And Usagi did look to where Naru pointed at the sign of the arcade up the street. Pouting, she looked at her exhausted friend and finally relented, slowing down and walking though she couldn't keep the spring out of her steps.

She didn't know why, but she really wanted to see the older woman, perhaps invite her to the festival that Rei's grandfather was having that weekend. She wanted to reach into her shell and discover all of her hidden passions and see what made her tick. Usagi was an outgoing girl, and she wanted everyone to have as much fun as she did on any given day – though that was saying a lot.

Looking over at Naru, she smiled, absently marveling at how long they had managed to be friends. Surprising the redhead, she laced their arms together. Giggling, Usagi nodded. "I'm that easy to figure out, huh?" she asked.

Naru grinned back, her green eyes happy, "Of course! How long have I known you?" When Usagi acknowledged that statement, she continued, "And HOW often do I see you chasing after someone who 'appears to need a friend'? You just have too big of a heart, Usagi-chan."

The blonde blushed.

Reaching the doors to the arcade and hearing the whoosh sound that they made as they swung open, Usagi trounced in, dropped her bookbag to the floor, leaving it for Naru to take, and ran over as fast as she could to where Juri stood in front of the counter, talking to a girl from the junior high. Yelling "Ju-u-u-u-u-ri-san!" almost as loud as she could, Usagi jumped onto her friend, wrapping her arms around Juri's neck, her legs encircling her waist. She hung on for dear life.

It was to her credit, Usagi thought after a split-second of realizing that her decision to glomp onto her friend's back probably wasn't the best thing she could have done, that Juri didn't fall. Instead, her arms came up to steady Usagi, latching onto her legs, her fingernails digging into her skin as she bent over a bit, but steadied, straightened, and took the breath stealing hug Usagi offered her, the blonde unbelievably embarrassed.

Without a word, Juri let her slide down. Her feet coming into firm contact with the floor, Usagi suddenly overbalanced, old klutzy habits not fully died down yet. Before she could steady herself, her feet slipped out from underneath her, and she found herself clinging furiously to the fabric of Juri's shirt, her nose planted into the older woman's chest.

Her face reddening even further, Usagi straightened, turned away, took a deep breath to steady herself and fixed her bangs before turning around again, begging, "Please forgive me! I didn't mean to jump on you! I keep on forgetting that – oh, I don't know what I mean! I know it was totally irresponsible – I mean, I could have hurt someone! I-I. Oh, I don't know!"

She raised beseeching blue eyes to Juri to plead for her case, well aware that she was babbling.

To her surprise, Juri began to laugh, her tired eyes looking affectionately down upon her. She rested against the counter, her hand with the ring coming up to comb back her bangs that, Usagi noted, were more-so fuzzy then they had been the day before. "Are you sure that you don't know Wakaba?" she asked.

Usagi frowned. Juri just wasn't looking right. She looked beat. Bushed. Her green eyes weren't shiny, the luster seemed to have been worn away, and an angry redness threatened the familiar act of crying that Usagi knew all too well. She didn't seem to hold herself as tall as she had the day before, her hair under no restraint, not even in a ponytail, curling wildly in every direction. To Usagi, she still looked like the model she had admitted to be, but her masculinity seemed to wilt under the aura of femininity that arrived with the exhaustion that consumed her.

Taking her friend's hand, she noted the coldness of her skin. Taking a step forward and laying her hand onto the mildly surprised woman's forehead, she drew back almost instantly, "Juri-san! Don't you know that you're burning up!?" Glancing around, she tightened her hold on Juri's hand as she appeared to be wavering on her feet, and grabbed the chair behind the counter, making Juri sit down.

Looking up to see Naru standing there uncertainly, Usagi waved her over, "Naru-chan! Find some water, anything cool, and give it to Juri. She needs it! God, she's burning up. Don't let her move." Waiting until the brunette nodded, already coming behind the counter and ignoring Juri's weak protests, she stomped into the kitchen, anger filtering into her mind.

"Motoki-kun!" she yelled, spotting the young man frying grilled cheese sandwiches on the stove, "How could you let Juri-san work today!?"

"What?" Motoki looked up, his blue eyes meeting hers squarely. Leaning down to turn the fire off, he paused to grab a rag to wipe his hand off and turned completely around to talk to her, "What's wrong with her?"

"What? You couldn't see it?" Usagi found this hard to believe, her sense of righteousness and her hope for Juri's wellbeing making her haughty.

"Well, she did look awfully tired today, but you can't make any exception for that -"

Motoki blinked when Usagi cut him off. Placing her hands onto her hips, she stomped up to him, getting into his face. It was times like these that I really wish I was taller, she thought, realizing that she had to stand on her tiptoes.

"Motoki-kun. Juri has a fever. She's barely on her feet. I'm going to take her home. She shouldn't be working in the first place, alright?" Making her voice softer, she smiled to appease her tone, "I'll work for you next weekend to make up for her, okay? I just want her to be fine."

Motoki nodded and placed a hand onto her shoulder, "Of course, Usagi-chan. I'm sorry I didn't notice anything sooner. I've been back here all day long, and she didn't say anything. I'll call Unazuki back in to work. Don't worry about it. Take her. She shouldn't be working." Frowning, he looked past her shoulder through the window in the door, seeing where Juri slumped on the counter.

Usagi's gaze followed him, and her heart squeezed. "That baka," she muttered, recalling what Motoki had said, "Was she going to work until she collapsed?" Turning back to the sandy-haired man, she smiled at him and hurried into back to Juri, her mind furiously working on how she could get her mom to agree to have an unannounced guest for a couple of days…

***

Motoki watched as the blonde settled Juri's arm around her shoulder, apparently telling Naru to collect the older woman's things. Beating her to it, he handed the brunette the bag Juri had dropped off earlier that morning and accepted her apron with a smile, inwardly chuckling at the girl's blush. Following her out of the kitchen, he listened as Usagi berated Juri about putting herself in danger of getting even sicker, ignoring all of the protests Juri murmured, too tired to open her eyes, only supported by Usagi's shoulder and arm around her waist. Her skin was so pale that Motoki wondered how he hadn't noticed before, guilt beginning to creep into his stomach.

Realizing that Usagi couldn't really support a person as big as Juri, he hurried forward to take her other arm, Naru trailing after them with all of their stuff in her hands as they made for the front of the arcade.

Motoki could hear Juri's breath rasp, and felt her bangs brush against his face as he bent to accommodate Usagi's height. Usagi smiled thankfully at him, but he just nodded. Juri was his friend, and he wasn't going to let her make herself even worse.

Managing to go to the front of the arcade before pausing for a break, Motoki looked up when a car beeped, and the sandy-blonde headed woman that Usagi sometimes hanged out with gestured from her yellow Ferrari. "Hey Usagi-chan! Do you need a lift?"

Sighing with relief, Usagi brightened. With a mumbled apology to Juri, she shipped her off onto Motoki, who grunted but took the extra weight, and hurried over to talk to her friend. Looking down into his arms where Juri lay, having fallen into a deep unconsciousness, he was glad when Usagi arranged that her friend would take her, Usagi, and Naru home.

Wiping his forehead, he watched as they drove off, Usagi holding Juri's head tenderly, leaning her against her chest, and went back in to call his sister and stew in his own guilt at not having seen her exhaustion. He just hoped that Usagi and her family would be able to cure her soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Juri came to with a pounding headache and dry mouth. Coughing, and confused when her breath rattled, she wanted to roll over, push off the sheets that were tangled around her legs because they were too hot, but her blood pounded in her temple, making her too queasy to even think about moving. Hearing the soothing sound of someone humming, only broken up by the sound of water splashing, a wet piece of cloth was laid on her forehead, instantly soothing some of the heat, and a low voice whispered, "Glad to see you're awake, Arisuguwa-san. Usagi-chan should be back in here soon. She left to get some soup so you could eat when you awoke."

Swallowing and getting ready to open her eyes, Juri winced when her throat burned, feeling swollen. Cracking open her eyes to see who was taking care of her and not recognizing the voice, a gentle older face framed by dark blue hair met her gaze. The woman smiled and turned the washcloth over on her forehead, accidentally letting droplets of water roll down into her eyes, and Juri closed them reflexively.

She would have said something if she knew she could, but her throat hurt her too much, and she was feeling sick. Sick and hot. The room seemed to be stifling, and her bangs stuck to her skin by cold sweat that made her body feel sticky, her hands lying helplessly by her sides.

Juri couldn't remember when she had ever felt so sick. Her mind felt like mush, and she wanted a glass of water, two or three aspirins, and the ability to fall asleep instantly. She didn't even know where she was, although the woman's features looked vaguely familiar, and she had mentioned Usagi, but somehow Juri couldn't make herself care.

"Here." The woman held up a glass of water, her arm snaking around Juri's back to support her as she tried to sit up, a moment of vertigo making her close her eyes to try and beat down the nausea. The cup was placed against her lips, urging her to drink, and Juri sighed in ecstasy as the coolness flowed down her throat, oddly detached from her nerves. The sheets fell away from her body, and when she was gently helped to lay down, she looked down to notice that she was wearing white male pajamas, about her own size, the first couple of buttons unbuttoned.

"Tell me," she said raggedly, licking her dry lips and looking up sickly at the older woman, noticing the faint laugh lines around her face even in her daze, "Where am I?" It sure didn't seem like her apartment, and the light coming in from a window to her left and the softness of the bed she was laying on seemed all wrong. Didn't her bed have a window on the right side?

Just then, a door opened behind the middle-aged woman, and Usagi stuck her head in. Her features brightening as she saw Juri sitting up, she straightened and came in, bearing a pot of something steaming in her hands, "Juri-san!"

Juri blushed, feeling too sick to do anything else but smile resignedly. Seeing Usagi sit down next to the other woman, she realized that the woman had to be her mother, and wondered how she hadn't seen it before.

Usagi reached out and gently took Juri's hand into her own, and Juri shivered as her cool skin met her own feverish fingers. Placing the bowl of soup next to Juri's legs, the blonde gazed down onto her with a semi-angry look, her blue eyes boring into Juri's.

"Ri-chan," she whispered as Juri couldn't help but yawn, still not fully awake, giving Usagi a sheepish grin in the process, "Why did you go to work today? You're really sick." Reaching down, Usagi gently smoothed away some sweaty bangs from Juri's forehead after softly removing the drying washcloth.

Juri closed her eyes at the feathery contact, touched at the emotion the younger girl was showing her, and feeling guilty for causing her to worry. Swallowing, she winced again at the spike of pain that action caused her, and didn't feel at all like the Juri she usually was. Taking in a ragged breath, she tried to smile, coughed, and mumbled, "I'm sorry…"

"For what?" Usagi's sweet voice asked, her voice disappearing behind a veil of blackness that appeared as Juri succumbed to the beckoning of sleep, suddenly bone tired, her headache mysteriously ebbing with the appearance of the bunny.

"For making you worry…" And she was asleep.

***

"Oh Juri…" Usagi chuckled, watching as the woman's face smoothed in sleep, the lines that had appeared once she had woken up getting erased. She looked so much younger. Vulnerable.

Tenderly brushing some more errant locks of hair that didn't want to leave Juri's eyes be, wondering idly at the vivid orange of the color, she smiled and turned to her mother, who smiled adoringly at her oldest child.

"So she's the one you were out with last night?" Ikuko asked, her blue eyes meeting her own affectionately.

Usagi nodded. "Ahuh. It's strange. She seemed fine yesterday. How could she have gotten so sick so suddenly?"

"I don't know," her mother said as she rose, picking up the bucket of cold water and dumping the discarded washcloth into it with a splash, "Looks to be the 24 hour flu, though. But I'm glad her fever's broken. She gave us quite a scare." Pausing, she turned away from where she was standing at the door to Usagi's room and said over her shoulder, "Hmm. You say she stayed at work for at least eight hours before you came?"

Usagi nodded wordlessly.

"Then it's a good thing she has a friend like you. It's a pity she lives alone. You sure that she doesn't have any family or friends around here?"

"Mother!" Usagi protested, "You make it seem like she's a burden here!"

Ikuko laughed, "No, no. It's alright. I'm just wondering. A lovely girl like that should have a boyfriend at least. She's welcome to stay as long as she needs." Ikuko looked over to where Juri lay, Usagi's eyes watching as she did so, "Besides, she seems to be well-mannered."

Exiting out of Usagi's room, she turned back to say, "I'll bring some tea with honey up later – I'm sure she'll appreciate that for her throat if she wakes up."

Usagi nodded, "Thanks Okaa-san. I'm sorry for bothering you."

Her mother shook her head. "That's alright; it's good that you have such a pure heart," and, as if something occurred to her, she added, "Oh, and I'll keep Chibi-Usa and Luna away for a while – we need to let her sleep," and shut the door quietly behind her.

Usagi watched her mother leave affectionately, marveling at just how kind she could be, tolerating all of the odd quirks and behaviors Usagi had begun to develop after becoming Sailor Moon. Chuckling at her mother's use of the phrase 'pure heart', and remembering her fight with Pharaoh 90 and Mistress 9, she took her thoughts back to the woman who needed her attention more than those memories did.

Why HAD Juri disregarded her own health? It didn't seem like something the fastidious woman would do, and Usagi was sure that she would have noticed anything if Juri had been beginning to develop the flu – fever, whatever! – and Juri had only seemed nothing but indrawn. It hurt Usagi to see her friend suffering.

Her eyes traveling over the striking body of her friend that lay tucked in on her bed, her face contracting in her sleep as if she was experiencing something not so enjoyable, Usagi's eyes came to a rest on the chain that hung around her neck. Her curiosity peaking, she leaned forward, gently pulling out the gold links that lay under the white collar of Usagi's father's pajamas. Feeling slightly bad about the snooping she was doing, Usagi gently reached forward and slid her hands under Juri's hair to search for the locket that she knew lived on the necklace.

The blonde knew she was probably intruding onto Juri's privacy, but she just knew that the locket had something to do with the fact that Juri would sometimes turn quiet and her eyes would turn inwards, her thoughts taking her away from what she was talking about with Usagi. And, being the inquisitive person Usagi was, she tried to convince herself that she was only doing it for Juri's sake.

Juri shifted in her sleep, throwing out her head to shift it onto the back of Usagi's palm, mumbling something, furrowing her brow and frowning. Usagi stilled, realizing that she was leaning over her friend, her knees beginning to ache where they sat on the floor of her bedroom, leaning over her bed, a good foot above the rug her skin pressed into. Her breath brushed against the hair Juri's head pushed up, and she could begin to feel a nervous sweat start at the back of her neck, one of her golden ponytails shifting to flop over her shoulder.

Just then Juri rolled over, murmuring. "Oh…Shiori…"

Usagi froze, realizing that Juri was rolling _into_ her. Because her precarious position didn't afford her that great a balance, she had a split second to comprehend what she knew was going to happen next. With a scream that was muffled by the pillow next to Juri's head, she tipped over, her limbs splaying.

Juri grunted with the sudden unexpected weight, but didn't seem to waken. Instead, as Usagi raised her head warily, bracing herself with her hands on either side of Juri's shoulders, the woman just grumbled, shifting under her sheets. Looking into her face, seeing how close she was to be able to notice her individual eyelashes, her arms beginning to tremble with the strain of holding her body up, Usagi dreaded how she was going to be able to roll off of her unnoticed.

"Usagi-chan!?"

Screaming with fright, Usagi's arms gave up and she landed face-first down upon Juri again, just knowing that she was going to wake up.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Most of the previous chapters were written anywhere from six to three or so years ago. So near the middle of this chapter is where my current writing style begins. Just letting you know.

* * *

"It's nice to know that Usagi likes to PERSONALLY get to know her patients, isn't it, Tsukino-san?" Rei asked Ikuko, smirking at the beet red blonde sitting on the other side of the room from her.

The blue-haired woman paused for a moment, finished setting down the cup of tea she had in her hand and folded her tray next to her body before smiling and saying, "Why yes, I suppose it is. When someone knows that people care for them, they heal quickly. Usagi-chan's trying her hardest to make Arisuguwa-san feel at home, I'm sure." She smiled affectionately at her daughter, who blushed even harder.

"That's not ALL that she's doing," Minako whispered loudly to Makoto, who snorted and nudged the blonde in the ribs, giggling.

Usagi glared at them, which only made them giggle harder. Wisely, for once, she didn't say anything.

Ami quickly spoke up, "Ah, thank you for the tea and cookies, Tsukino-san. It was nice of you to let us in unannounced."

Ikuko laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it, dear. It's my pleasure. And please, I've known all of you too long for you to keep calling me 'Tsukino-san'. It makes me feel old. Ikuko is just fine." She smiled brightly, encompassing the whole room.

Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako all nodded as Usagi sulked in the corner.

Usagi was still smarting from when her friends had walked in on the peculiar scene of her precarious position over Juri. It didn't help that they were all snickering about it, either. Usagi had slipped! That was all! There weren't any ulterior motives! How could she convince them of that? As if having all of her friends at the door wasn't bad enough, looking into Juri's surprised green eyes had been worse. Usagi had mumbled something about slipping, falling, and a common occurrence before she hastily left the room, guiltily knowing that Juri couldn't follow her.

That hadn't stopped her friends, though.

Hearing another snide comment Makoto offered back to Minako, Usagi's mother having left with a promise to give the brunette a copy of her recipe for peanut butter and tapioca cookies, Usagi decided that she had had enough with acting the wounded hero. She opened her mouth, balling her hands into fists, sitting up straight.

Unfortunately, Luna decided to saunter in, Ikuko kindly letting her out of the kitchen where she had been holed up. Nodding a hello to all, the black cat padded over to Usagi, settling down next to her leg. Feeling Luna's fur soft against her skin, and hearing a beginning a purr rumbling through her body, she started gently scratching between her ears. She started calming down.

Why was she so riled up? Normally, her friend's comments didn't really affect her. But… But she had gotten so close to Juri so quickly that their comments seemed to have merit.

Usagi sat up straight. Wait… Did they really have merit? Was she really beginning to develop feeling for Juri?

Usagi was no stranger to feeling confusion about herself with regards to those around her, many people having expressed interest in the blonde. Whenever she was confronted with someone new, it always took her a while to decipher everything she felt about them. Being the very emotional and feeling person she was, Usagi was never quite sure about how she exactly felt about people. Sometimes she felt so much she didn't know how to act around them.

Looking around her living room, seeing everyone's familiar faces turned towards her, waiting, Usagi frowned. Lowering her head to gaze into Luna's soft red eyes, she closed her eyes in thought.

The room was filled with her closest friends, everyone different in their own right. But how did she really feel about them?

Usagi shook her head. Now was no time to be thinking about things like that. It was time to just take the ribbing from the others and worry about facing Juri later. Besides, she was hungry. Her mother's tea and cookies looked good to her.

***

The next morning, at the breakfast table, Usagi would look up every so often to see if Juri had opened the door. It didn't matter that she never heard the door open. Having slept on the floor of her room in case Juri needed something in the middle of the night, she cracked her neck and stretched to try and get rid of the lingering feeling of stiffness in her body. Fortunately, the older woman hadn't needed anything, and Usagi had gotten up for school without even waking her, her phone alarm set to vibrate.

Watching Shingo tease Luna with a piece of toast, Usagi giggled at the exasperated look her guardian sent her. "Otouto, stop teasing her. Give her some already if you're going to."

Sticking his tongue out at her for ruining his fun, Shingo finally gave in and tossed the black cat one of the corners of his toast, laughing a little when it bounced off her nose.

Tsking at him, Usagi looked up when the door opened, her heart beating a little faster in anticipation before she could stop it. Immediately berating herself for the physical action, not quite sure if it was from embarrassment or actual anticipation, the blonde still felt her smile falter when it turned out to be her father who walked through the door.

"Ah, Usagi-chan!" Taking his usual seat at the head of the table and adjusting his glasses, Kenji Tsukino beamed at his daughter, "It's nice to see you up at an early time."

Smiling back at him, Usagi passed him the butter and jam that had been placed in front of her earlier by her mother, glad that she had decided to save the last of the blackberry for him. "Good morning, Papa. Juri-san's still recuperating, so I didn't want to wake her with Mama knocking on the door."

"Ah, yes." Taking a piece of toast and buttering it, he smiled at her, "Your mother said something about that last night. Is she the girl I saw you with a couple of days ago?"

Usagi blushed, scowling softly at her dad. "Yes, Papa. She was the one I showed around the neighborhood. But I really wish you wouldn't _spy_ on me! It's embarrassing," she muttered into her glass of milk.

"Now, now, dear," Ikuko took her seat after laying a plate of pancakes on the middle of the table, "He's just being a father."

Shingo snorted. "I'm SO glad he won't do that to me when I get older."

Disgruntled, Usagi stuck her tongue out him, "Who says he won't?"

"Because I'm a boy," Shingo proclaimed proudly.

She turned to her father, looking for some reinforcement. "Papa, tell him he's wrong!"

Kenji cleared his throat, slight color staining his cheeks. "Well… Erm…"

"What?" Usagi stared at the dark haired man. He WOULD'NT do that to Shingo? Why not? "It's because I'm female, isn't it!?" she suddenly burst out, jaw dropping, "Papa, that's so SEXIST!" She crossed her arms, glaring down at the pancake waiting to be buttered on her plate, "And not fair."

Like a broken record, Kenji tried to defend himself, "Well… Uh… Usagi-chan, it's only because, well…" He played nervously with the collar of his shirt.

Watching her father try to dig himself out of the hole he had dug himself into, the blonde frowned, pushing herself up from the table. "Well!" she announced loudly, "I should go and see how Juri-san's doing, and then let Motoki-kun know as well." She kissed her mother on the cheek, frowned at her brother, pointedly did not look at Kenji, and then turned around to go up to her room.

As she left the dining room, she could hear her father splutter, "Motoki… KUN??" Rolling her eyes in exasperation, she walked up the stairs, pausing in front of the door.

Juri was in there… If Usagi woke her up too much, she might ask about what had happened the day before. But she really DID want to know if the older woman was feeling better. Sighing, she sucked up her embarrassment and knocked softly. "Juri-san? Are you decent?"

Not hearing a response, she knocked again before slowly opening the door. Breathing better than she had the day before, Juri slept quietly, her mass of orange hair slightly covering her face. Smiling at the cute sight, Usagi crept over and took a seat on the edge of the bed gingerly. She smoothed Juri's hair away from her face, pressing her palm gently against her forehead. Good, her temperature felt better, and her skin wasn't sticky with sweat anymore.

Juri must have felt her touch, because she stirred. Heart beating a little faster, Usagi waited for the girl to open her eyes. "Hey," she smiled as sleep cloudy eyes met hers, "How are you feeling?"

Juri swallowed, smiling a little. "Much better than before," she croaked out.

"You thirsty?" Without waiting for an answer, Usagi reached over to pick up the glass of water on the bedside table. Idly, she noticed that sometime in the night, without waking her, Juri had finished off the rest of the chicken soup Usagi's mother had forced her to eat, making a mental note to take the empty pot when she left. Looking at Juri nodding and trying to force herself up through the pile of blankets that were tangled around her body, Usagi giggled softly to herself and got up. She placed the glass down again and then turned back to slip onto the bed behind her, ready to support the orange haired woman. She raised her arms and gently pushed Juri's back up, scooting closer to then lean the woman solidly against her right side. She figured Senshi strength would help her keep from falling backwards.

Whoah. Bad move.

It wasn't because Juri was so much taller than her (making her de facto bigger than her), or that Usagi was afraid of getting sick, or even that Juri smelled like a sick person, which actually wasn't that strong. No. It was because, for the first time, Usagi felt the strength that flowed through the other woman intimately. Sure, she had hugged her, glomped onto her, and even fallen on top of her, but all those actions had been quick, friendly, and not out of the ordinary for the blonde. There was just… so much _power_ in Juri's back and shoulders. She could feel it even in the woman's ill state. But all of the power Usagi felt wasn't just coming from touch; that close, for an extended time, the blonde could feel the same sort of power flowing out of Juri that each Senshi had. It shocked her so much she involuntarily tightened the arm that she had slid forward to curl around Juri's waist.

"…Usagi?"

The scratchy voice snapped her back to reality. "Oh, sorry. You wanted some water. He…" Usagi twisted her left arm backwards and to the side, leaning a little and gritting her teeth with the effort not to push the glass over with her clumsy fingers. Finally, she managed to grab the lip, pulling it forward a little more before she tried to place her whole hand around it. She managed to barely spill anything. "Aha! Here you go."

"Mmm, thank you." Juri accepted the glass from her. Usagi hoped that she couldn't feel the strong pounding of her heart. Her power had… spoken to her. Yes. Something inside of Usagi's body eagerly responded to the sensation Juri's strength was causing. She wasn't sure exactly WHAT she was feeling, though.

She knew her heart was beating hard, but why? What emotion was causing it? Was it surprise? Nervousness? It surely wasn't fear, could be excitement, but to her discomfort, she couldn't rule out… attraction. But if it did turn out to be… attraction, it didn't mean she was attracted to Juri… Right? It could be she was just intrigued by the power. Usagi bit her lip, worrying it between her teeth. What was going on?

*

It had been sweet of Usagi to offer to give her some water even though Juri would've eventually been able to get it herself. It would have happened much quicker, but the stupid blankets had banded together and decided to hold her prisoner at some point during the night. Juri had been starting to get embarrassed by her inability to free herself; though she felt much better than the day before, she still felt weak, and her throat was uncomfortably still squeezed tight. So when Usagi had slid in behind her to help her sit up, Juri was thankful but feeling a bit foolish. However, when the small blonde had brought her back, snaking an arm around Juri's waist, the orange haired woman had been shocked that the younger girl could support her. She was sure she weighed a lot more than her! But, Usagi seemed to not have a problem, and Juri sure wasn't going to complain. The half-hug felt nice.

She sipped at the cup, remembering the interesting muscle contractions she had felt as Usagi had scrambled for it. It had been very amusing to hear the girl's frustrated noises. She smiled, appreciating the water wetting her mouth. It hurt when she swallowed, but she knew she needed the liquid. She quickly drank half of the glass.

"Uhm… Juri-san?" Usagi had decided she was going to lay her chin onto Juri's left shoulder, so she could feel the blonde's breath tickle the hair in front of her ear as she spoke. The position only worked because Juri wasn't sitting up exactly straight.

"Yeah?" she asked, lowering the cup Usagi immediately reached forward to take. Her right arm tightened around her again as the younger girl stretched once more to set it down on the table; Juri felt almost positive the blonde was going to place it closer to her than before. She grinned. The muscle contractions were so WEIRD! But it was very nice to be this close to another human being again. She didn't want to feel guilty that she was happy the human being was a very cute, pretty girl. She sighed mentally again, knowing she was being silly. Usagi was already taken (by a boy no less), and she wasn't interested in her anyway. She decided it was loneliness that made her take advantage of the situation.

"This may sound odd," Usagi continued, placing her chin back onto her shoulder, "But, do you… play any sports?"

Well, that was random. Juri cleared her throat and licked her lips before answering, "Fencing." She immediately forced shut the door of sadness that tried to open. Surprisingly, it worked. Huh. The sickness must be helping her. That was nice. But it was unfair that to get mental peace, her body had to be suffering.

"Oh." Usagi's voice was soft, but Juri still felt the younger girl's throat vibrate against her, "I bet you're wondering why I asked, right?"

Juri chuckled. Which she shouldn't have, she found out, the laugh turning into a cough. She should really remember she was sick, she reprimanded herself. A hug and water was no reason to not pay attention to how crummy she felt. As she got back in control of herself, she found that Usagi was patiently holding the water glass in front of her. Mumbling a thank you with a thick voice that sounded odd in her stuffed ears, she tilted her head back and drained the rest of the glass. Water really did help her throat, she decided.

There was a pause in the room after Juri gave back the empty glass. Juri figured Usagi was going to let go of her, seeing as there was no water left. It wasn't that Juri was uncomfortable, but as more time passed, she became more alert, realizing that she really was imposing on the younger girl. She was in her room, in her bed, in her… no, these probably weren't Usagi's pajamas, she thought, looking down at the striped white sleeves of the shirt that actually fit her. They were too big. Okay, she was in someone in her family's pajamas, and she was making her hold her up.

Okay, yes, she was enjoying the hug, but… Wait, why was Usagi's heart beating so hard?


End file.
